Reader Tips: Smart Spring Repurposing Ideas
Easy upcycled raised garden beds using IBC tanks
Arthritis makes gardening in low beds or at ground level difficult for Sheryl. When she saw some used industrial liquid containers, called IBC (intermediate bulk container) tanks, for sale online, she got an idea. With the help of her son, she cut one container in half to make two raised beds. A reciprocating saw or circular saw work well for cutting the metal bars and the plastic container, but even most handsaws can do the trick.
Tips to create IBC tank raised beds
Most IBC tanks are about 48×40×40 inches. Cut in half, they’re about 20 inches high. You might find that some already have a large drainage hole in the bottom, but it’s likely that you’ll have to drill five or six holes across the base. Used IBC tanks may have some remaining residue, so it’s a good idea to scrub them down with soapy water. Put the containers in place, fill them up with potting mix and plant away!
You should be able to find some of these tanks online on secondhand sites, such as Craigslist or Facebook. Search “IBC tank” or “IBC tote.” Most are sold in the $50 to $100 range. That’s a pretty fine deal for a tall, accessible garden bed!
Photo & tip submitted by Sheryl Fullner, WA
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Mess-free bird feeders
Birds can leave a big mess under the feeders hung on shepherd’s hooks in Sylvia’s backyard. So she tucked a small plastic kiddie pool underneath to catch the fallen hulls and excess seeds and prevent unwanted plants from sprouting in the garden. When the pool starts to fill up, it's easy to dump the contents into the compost pile. Sylvia has camouflaged the pool with taller perennials planted along the front of the bed.
Tip submitted by Sylvia Street, IA
Keep emerging lilies safe from rabbits in spring
A bunny’s munching habits can ruin a garden in no time. That’s why Joan came up with a way to protect her lilies as they emerge: Just grab a paper grocery bag and four plant stakes. Cut the bottom out of the bag to fit it over the plant. (It might help to leave an inch or so around the perimeter on the bottom.) Then you can drive the plant stakes into the corners inside the bag to keep it in place and prevent the bag from flopping or blowing away. Mound an inch or two of soil around the edges of the bag for extra security.
Leave the bag in place for about a week, or until the plant has grown enough that the leaves and stems are no longer tender and new. This might mean that the plant has grown several inches or a significant number of the leaves have unfurled and matured.
Photo & tip submitted by Joan Pierro, MA
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Quick Garden Tip
To remedy the splaying stems of a geranium plant, Kathleen popped some dried agapanthus (Agapanthus africanus) flower stems into her containers for support. The small prongs of the seedheads prop up floppy flowers for a tidier container.
Photo & tip submitted by Kathleen Durkee, MA
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